Los Angeles City Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags

July 22, 2012

Unlocking Word Meanings Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. ban (n.) [ban] – an official rule that stops people from
doing or using something again

Example: The government has put
a ban on the cutting of trees in the
area to preserve the environment.

2. disposable (adj.) [dih-spoh-zuh-buhl] – designed to be thrown after use

Example: The convenience store
is selling disposable utensils such
as plastic spoons and forks.

3. litter (n.) [lit-er] – trash or waste materials

Example: The school teaches its
students how to properly dispose litter.

4. counter-argument (n.) [koun-ter-ahr-gyuh-muhnt] – an argument or statement used to disagree with another argument

Example: Officials prepared counter-arguments on why the new law is
good in case others say the new law is bad.

5. resort (v.) [ree-sawrt] – to use another action or solution

Example: The council resorted to trying the second
environmental plan, as the first plan was too expensive.

Article
Read
the text below.

After a 13-versus-1
vote among city officials, the Los Angeles City Council approved a ban on single-use plastic bags at store
checkout counters.

Having 4 million people
who use about 2.7 million plastic bags each year, Los Angeles became the
largest US city to introduce a ban on disposable
plastic bags.

The plastic
industry, however, argued that banning single-use plastic bags will affect
local jobs and cause environmental and health hazards.

According to Mark
Daniels, chair of the American Progressive Bag Alliance, reusable bags collect
disease-causing bacteria since people do not wash reusable bags often. He
also said reusable bags cannot be recycled.

Daniels added that LA’s
new policy will not solve the current pollution problem as the plan only
eliminates a small percentage of the city’s litter.

The City Council
responded with counter-arguments to
these concerns. The council said it will create standards for the proper use
and recycling of reusable bags.

As for the local
jobs, the council said the 750 jobs in the area’s plastic industry are not in
the city but in nearby places.

Moreover, officials
emphasized that the ban will help reduce pollution, as 43% of the trash in Los
Angeles is plastic and 19% of plastic trash is composed of plastic bags.

Large stores are
required to slowly stop using disposable bags within six months while
smaller stores must do so within a year.

The council also planned
a ban on paper bags, but resorted
to allowing storesto charge 10 cents for paper bags in the hope that extra fees could
push people to really use reusable bags.

Viewpoint
Discussion Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A

·Do you think the ban for single-use plastic
bags would benefit people who live in a large city? Why or why not?

·Which do you think is better to use, single-use
plastic bags or reusable bags? Why?

Discussion B

·Would banning a few kinds of trash (such as single-use
plastic bags) be enough to reduce pollution? Why or why not?